Pay The Piper
by Gemini Star01
Summary: Death's not too happy that Kouichi 'cheated' him, but he's willing to make a deal...but he'd take Kouji instead. When the older twin gets in the way, it's up to Kouji to save both thier souls...COMPLETE!
1. Acidents Happen

Something weird that initially came from reading the first volume of _Bleach_ about a dozen times. I truly am addicted to manga…(sigh) It's just a shame they screwed up the manga adaptation of Digimon so badly…There won't be many chapters to this, probably one or two more, it's just something short and fun that's been bugging me lately. A little break between _Lost In The Dusk_ and my next big project, you might say.

BTW, I love creating messengers of Death. The one which appears here was actually the prototype-goth-punk design for the male lead in my book, so I would appreciate it if you don't mess with him.

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I just think too much.

Pay The Piper

Chapter 1: Accidents Happen

A blue-haired boy walked down the street, carrying a plastic grocery bag in each hand, both stuffed to the brim with a week's worth of your basic human needs. His clothes were a size too large for him and slightly tattered, hanging loosely over a thin frame, but he didn't seam to notice. Deep blue eyes were clouded slightly, not in concentration, but in a daydream, keeping only half his mind on the path he was taking. The sun was setting and he was the only pedestrian on the streets, but he wasn't lost enough to forget about the cars.

He paused, waiting for the crosswalk light to turn green again. Though he had no headphones like most boy his age, he was humming his own song quietly to himself, counting the seconds off in his head.

There was a small _beep_ as the light changed green. The boy smiled just a little, starting across the white-painted path. Just a few more blocks and he'd be back home…

A horn suddenly blared in his ear, catching him off-guard. His head shot up just in time to see a bright red car slam on its breaks, but too late to keep from connecting…

There was a sickening noise and a splash of blood as the groceries scattered across the ground.

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

For a Japanese teenager, Saturday afternoons are some of the most relaxing times in the world. After all, school was only a half-day, so the afternoon was wide open for picnics, movies, and other activities with their friends.

Which was why it was one of these blissful, enjoyable Saturday afternoons that the six kids who had once entered the Digital World had chosen to be the time for one of their get-togethers.

The place? A pizza parlor, which was partially owned by Izumi's father.

The problem? They were one short.

"…Where's Kouichi?" Tomoki asked, reaching for a second piece of a large pepperoni. "He's not usually late."

"I'm sure he's fine." Junpei waved his hand nonchalantly, taking a fourth slice of a mushroom sausage mix.

Kouji swallowed, checking his watch. His brother was a good ten minutes late and, despite himself, he was starting to get more than a little worried…

Takuya sensed the new tenseness, and glanced around quickly to try and find someway to rectify this. His eyes lit up as they fell on the glass door. "Guys, he's right there!" he sighed, then stood to wave their friend over.

Kouichi hurried to the table, with his school bag still slung over his shoulder. He smiled tiredly. "Sorry I'm late." he sighed. "There was a bit of a crowd at the train station…"

"No probs." Takuya waved towards the empty chair, between himself and Kouji. "Sit down and eat, before it's gone."

Kouichi's smile widened as he took his place, dropping the bag on the floor and reaching for a slice of plain, extra cheese. For a moment the long, tattered sleeve of his dark red shirt was pulled back, and Izumi gasped.

"Kouichi!" she cried. "What happened to your arm?"

The boy snapped his hand back, but they'd all seen the layers of white gauze wrapped around his wrist. He lifted it slightly, pulling the sleeve back to show it better, including the light metal clasps holding it in place.

"What happened?" Kouji exclaimed, taking the arm so he could see it better.

"I…I just…" Kouichi's face flushed slightly as he pulled his arm away and covered it up again. "I…got hit…by a car…yesterday."

"Hit by a _what_?" Takuya, Izumi and Kouji shouted at once.

"It wasn't so bad, really." Kouichi flushed deeper, obviously more than a little uncomfortable. "I just…wasn't paying attention. They hit their breaks, just knocked me over, really. Sprained…wrist." He grinned awkwardly, looking at the floor. "You know…stupid me."

"Ouch." Junpei grimaced, swallowing.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Tomoki asked, wide-eyed.

"Just a little…" Kouichi sighed. "It's fine, guys, really."

Uneasily, they somehow managed to slip back into their normal conversation. Kouichi sighed, finally taking his slice and thanking the stars that he'd just changed the bandage and they hadn't noticed the blood.

It really had been a close call, the evening before, as the paramedics had told him repeatedly. If the driver had been a second slower with the breaks, he'd have been road kill. As it was, he jumped back just as the car slid to a stop in front of him, tripped and, in an attempt to catch himself, cut his right wrist wide open on the car's metal finishing.

He wasn't the only one thinking. Kouji, too, had his brow furled in concentration. It seamed that Kouichi was getting hurt more and more often lately…Falling down or off of things, tripping, hitting his head, and now this…Even if he'd always been this clumsy, it was only natural for him to be worried. Wasn't it barely three months ago that Kouichi had almost…?

He pushed that thought out of his mind and took a large bite of pizza. He was being stupid. Kouichi was his _older_ brother, his nii-san…he could take care of himself.

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

Monday afternoon.

In the back of the classroom, Kouichi struggled to stay awake, but it was a loosing battle. It was almost summer, as such, living in Tokyo, it was hot…really hot. This inevitably made the classrooms, even those with air conditioning, rather stuffy, which was enhanced here by his teacher's love of strong-smelling scented candles. Added in with endless lectures on the Pythagorean Theorem, it all came to an intoxicating spell that was pulling his eyes closed at that very moment.

Kouichi leaned his head against the wall, trying to remain conscious. Eventually, though, he closed his eyes and let his mind slip peacefully away…

And found himself standing in what seamed to be the bank of a wide river, shrouded in a heavy mist, but there were a few problems. One, the sand he was standing on was ash-black and glowed slightly in different places, as though a volcano had only recently spat it out. Two, the few trees around them also looked as though they had survived a volcano, being black and charred and barely standing out from the swirling, purple-and-black storm above him. Oh, and there was the little fact that the river seamed to be flowing with blood instead of water.

Kouichi blinked, and blinked again. This place was…familiar, somehow. That is, it was familiar in a literary sense, seeing as any bozo in 6th-grade literature knew the Sanzu, but it was also _familiar_. As in, deja-vu. As in, he'd been here before, and he got the feeling it might have been more than once.

"Twice, actually." someone spoke from behind him, and Kouichi jumped a foot.

He spun around to find a young man, several years older than him and many centimeters taller, dressed in a black shirt, black slacks, and knee-length black coat, with several silver chains scattered in various different places. His skin was pale, almost sickly so, but his eyes were such an amazingly dark brown that they were almost black and stood out fiercely. His hair was about the length and color of Kouji's, but it was undone, scraggily, and obviously not as well taken care of.

"Didn't you hear me?" the man asked, though it came out as more of a taunt. "You _have_ been here before. Twice."

Kouichi took a step back. "H-How'd you…?"

"I know everything.." the man sniffed cockily. "Besides, your thoughts might as well be over a loudspeaker when talking to me."

Kouichi gulped and took another step back. The man shrugged, still speaking. "As I said, of course it's familiar. It's recognizable after even one visit, but two…and now a third? You're one sneaky little rat."

"I don't…"

"Remember? Of course you don't." the man sniffed. "The first time, I could understand…after all, I don't mind lending out fresh souls if they've got a purpose to fulfill, though that stupid rabbit didn't handle it particularly well if I do say so myself. And you were returned in due time, as promised, but…"

His cold, dark brown eyes locked onto Kouichi's soft blues. "That _second time_… was not supposed to happen."

"W-What're you talking about?" For some reason, this man terrified Kouichi and he stumbled further back. "W-Who are you!"

"You haven't figured that out yet?" the man laughed a bit under his breath. He came up close to the boy, who shuddered as he placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned forward to whisper, right by his ear. "I am Death."

Kouichi let out a startled gasp and yanked back, but Death held firm, digging his fingers into the boy's shoulder. "You were on my list three months ago. Head injury." he hissed dangerously. "But you left early. You didn't cross. You _cheated_ me, Kimura. _No one_ cheats Death."

Kouichi struggled again to get out of his grip. His mind raced for an escape route, an opening…anything!

"I've been after my dues since then." the man growled at him. "But your infernal _luck_, if you can call it that, keeps interfering. As such…" he grinned viciously, suddenly releasing the boy from his grip. "I've decided that I'm willing to make you a deal."

Kouichi blinked, surprised. This was not what he had been expecting. "…W-What kind of deal?"

"A simple one." Death chuckled to himself, checking a small, black book. "I'm getting tired of coming after you…cars, stairs, random kitchen accidents…Whattya say we put this behind and just wait until you're really ready to go?"

Kouichi blinked. Somehow, this seamed too easy. "…What do I have to do?"

"Nothing at all." Death said brightly, snapping his book shut and turning around "There are a…few arrangements…to be made, but all you have to do is shake on it and I won't bother you again."

He held out his hand, long fingers ending in manicured nails that looked almost like claws. "Do we have a deal?"

Kouichi hesitated a moment, then reached forward slowly and shook his hand.

Death's grin widened to show rows and rows of glistening white teeth. "Perfect."

He broke the shake smartly, opening his book again and writing something with a black quill. "Yes sir, it's all taken care of. Just have to make the necessary arrangements…"

"What kind of arrangements?" Kouichi asked, not liking his contented tone.

"Oh…perhaps I forgot to mention." Death closed his book and turned back slightly. "I have to bring a soul in to fill my quota. So, if I can't get a hold of you, I have to take someone else…"

Kouichi's blood ran cold. "W-Who?"

"Care to see?" Death asked coyly. Before Kouichi could respond he'd placed two fingers right between the boy's blue eyes, and there was something that seamed like a small electric shock…

Images danced before his eyes: A pile of thick, metal beams, lying in the shallow crevice they had made in the sidewalk…A boy's body being pulled from under the rubble, dark red blood clashing horribly against the dark blue of his outfit…long, black hair falling into dark blue eyes, frozen wide in the shock at the moment of death…a broken watch dangling off a limp wrist, stopped exactly at 5:27...

"No!" Kouichi burst out of the visions, not noticing he had been brought to his knees and he turned wild eyes to the man standing next to him. "No…You can't! Not Kouji…"

"We made a deal." Death said smugly, beginning to walk away. "I have to take one of you…Either you die, or _he_ dies…"

There was a loud ringing as the dark bank vanished beneath him…

Kouichi burst awake as the class bell rang out from the speaker above him. His classmates were gathering their bags, chattering with one another, and laughing, glad to have the school day over with. The clock on the wall read 4:30...

"Kouji…" Kouichi gasped, then snatched up his things and raced out the door.

****

TBC…

The Sanzu - in Japanese mythology, this is the river the dead cross over to enter the underworld. There are parallels in other cultures…the Styx to the Greeks, and the Jordan to some fractions of Christianity. It's a very common Japanese near-death experience. Some people have shown it as a river of blood, so I just…decided to use it.


	2. Let's Play A Game

Thanks to SayoranLoverKaili, who allowed me to ramble at her until I got this whole thing set up.

**__**

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I just think too much.

****

Pay The Piper

Chapter 2: Let's Play A Game…

Kouichi clutched the ring of the subway train with both hands, shifting from on foot to the other anxiously. It took half an hour of transfers, tickets, and crowds to get to Shibuya station from his school, and that was on a good day. The clock was ticking, it was taking so long…he couldn't afford to be late.

He nearly screamed as the train inched slowly up to the platform, released the pressure in a burst of steam, and _finally_ opened the doors. He burst out, into the bustling station, glancing around hurriedly for a clock. The large one in the hall read 5:05, which sent him racing for the exit as quickly as possible.

His mind raced wildly as he ran down the street. 5:27, the watch had said, he had to be there by 5:27. But how on earth was he going to find Kouji by then?

He racked his brain, trying to think where Kouji could be. Their father's house? No, Death had shown him in the street…killed by some kind of building accident. Heading back from school? The only way he'd be there at this time was if…

He nearly fell over with the shock that he had forgotten it. Of _course_! Kouji had Kendo practice after school today! They let out 5:20, and he'd head home…

Kouichi broke into a run, trying desperately to remember the route Kouji took between school and home. A bank sign across the street read 5:18...where was it!

Five minutes later, he'd stopped to catch his breath on a street corner. His head was spinning with stress and possibilities, ticking off the minutes in his mind. Not much time left, he had to find Kouji, hand to help him, had to…argh, all that noise was driving him nuts, why did they need another skyscraper built in this part of town?

Built…

Kouichi snapped his head up, staring at the towering, skeletal frame above him. Heavy, well-wrought steal beams were being lifted to the upper levels by cranes, shaking dangerously in the wind…

And, barely three stories under them, another young boy was walking by himself, schoolbag flung over his shoulder and looking as though all hell could break loose and he wouldn't even bat an eye. A long, black ponytail swung under a blue bandana, dangling down the back of a navy blue jacket.

For a moment, Kouichi's heart skipped. "…Kouji." he sighed thankfully, about to straighten and run to him, but then there was a sudden, strong gust of wind.

The men at the construction site began to shout out and call to each other as the beams rocked wildly in the gust. The crane stopped at the third floor, trying to hold them still for unloading as the wind picked up. The old, worn chain began to slowly creak and moan and break apart, unbeknownst to the boy directly in their path…

Kouichi broke into a run, racing down the street as fast as his tired feet could carry him. He had to make it, he had to, he had to, he _had_ to…

"K-Kouji!" he shouted, as a certain chain link began to loose its hold on the one beside it…

The boy stopped and turned around, surprised. "Kouichi…?"

"MOVE!" the elder twin shouted, shoving him clear of the site seconds before the aching chain gave way. He closed his eyes, covered his head, and waited for the crushing weight of ten wrought-iron beams as they destroyed everything beneath them…

****

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

Kouji coughed, partially from the dust cloud suddenly swirling around him, and partially to suck back the air which had been knocked from his lungs. It took him several moments to realize that he was on the ground, and many more to interpret what was being said to him.

"Kid…Hey, kid, you all right?"

Kouji blinked, looking into the round, stubbly face of a middle-aged construction worker. The boy nodded curtly, waving off attempts to help him up, and stared blankly at the heavy beams in front of him, lying deep in a crack they themselves had made. Finally, he managed to speak: "What…happened?"

"Accident." the man said gruffly, grabbing him by the arm to pull him to his feet. "A ring on the crane broke. You're pretty lucky, kid. The one who pushed you…not so much…"

"Pushed…?" Kouji's mind fumbled as various workers began shoving the beams away, trying to clear them and reach the figure trapped below.

Then, a few photograph-like memories flashed into his head. Walking home from school…Someone had called his name…Kouichi, it must have been him…he was the one he saw…right before he hit the ground…

The shock hit him with a short gasp. "K-Kouichi!"

"The ambulance is on its way!" someone shouted. "Dig 'im out, but DON'T move 'im!"

"Found him!" someone else shouted. Kouji gasped again and raced over, almost instantly wishing he hadn't.

Kouichi was lying, motionless, on his side, still half-trapped under the heavy beams. Blood pooled beneath him, from several places, the most severe being a long gash across his forehead and a deep cut on the side beneath him. His left arm was at an unnatural angle, trapped between two beams. You couldn't see him breathe.

"K-Kouichi…" Kouji whispered, barely holding himself back from racing to him.

Seconds later the ambulance raced up, sirens blaring. Several white-clothed paramedics came tromping out, pushing Kouji out of the way. They mumbled to each other, then gently…slowly…pried the tattered figure out of the rubble and onto a stretcher.

"ER, now!" the leader shouted.

Kouji found his voice. "W-Wait!" he called, running up to her. "Let me come with him."

The woman blinked at him. "Who're you?"

"I-I'm his…brother…" Kouji gulped, loosing his speech again as he watched them load the still figure into the back of the vehicle. "Please…I can't leave him alone!"

The woman sighed, but smiled. "All right, then. Get in."

****

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

The paramedic's initial diagnosis was grim: Possible skull fracture, massive blood loss, both legs broken (one in two places, the other in three), left arm almost completely shattered, five broken ribs…He was breathing, but not on his own now, and his pulse wa fading fast.

As soon as they reached the hospital, the boy was rushed into the Emergency Room, leaving his brother outside to wait alone.

For a long while, Kouji simply stared at the glowing red light, indicating that the doctors were hard at work. Then he sighed and sank into one of the hard plastic chairs. He buried his face in his hands and prayed to whichever god had the heart to listen.

"Please…Don't take him away. He…He can't die…I can't…loose him…not again…"

…

He quite suddenly realized that he was no longer alone in the small room. He looked up sharply at an unfamiliar young man, dressed almost completely in black, crossing the room with a small, black notebook open in his hands.

"Almost time…" he laughed under his breath, checking something off in the book. He closed it, slipping it into an inside pocket brightly. He walked straight for the sealed doors beneath the glowing red light.

"Hey!" Kouji jumped to his feet. "What do you think you're doing?"

The man continued on as though he hadn't heard. Kouji charged forward to grab him. "I'm talking to you!"

He missed, but for a spilt second his fingertips brushed the edge of the jacket…and, quite suddenly, he wasn't in the hospital anymore.

He was standing on the black bank of a wide river, flowing with a revolting red liquid that looked frighteningly like blood. The man, who still hadn't noticed him, was walking calmly towards the river. And there, standing at the very edge so that his feet almost brushed the crimson surface, was none other than…

"Kouichi." Kouji whispered in a slow, shocked voice. Something, possibly fear, kept him rooted to the spot as the man approached his brother.

Said stranger walked to Kouichi with a bright smile on his face. "Well." he said shortly. "You ready to go?"

Kouichi looked up at him and blinked sadly, then nodded, gazing back towards the river. The man's smiled widened, and he patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. The Afterlife's not such a back place, once you get used to it…"

The words registered in Kouji's mind like a dull blade. In an instant, he had rushed to the pair and knocked away the stranger's hand, placing himself firmly between the man and his brother. "He's not going anywhere."

"What…?" the man hissed, glaring at him with fiery fury.

Kouichi stared at his brother, mouthing his name in wordless shock, but Kouji got the message.

"Don't worry." he whispered. "I won't let anyone take you away."

He noticed Kouichi's eyes fill with tears and was uncertain whether to feel guilty or gratified.

The man in front of him hissed slightly. "I know you." he growled. "Minamoto Kouji. You're the punk who pulled him back in the first place. I should've remember that twins can pull stunts like this…"

"Shut up!" Kouji bristled protectively. "Who do you think you are!"

"Not too perceptive, are you?" the man hissed. "You would call me…Death."

There was a slight chill up Kouji's spine, and Kouichi shrank back. Death grinned lopsidedly. "That's right. Your brother's way past his expiration date. It's about time he crossed over…"

"You can't have him!" Kouji exclaimed.

"I already own him, boy." Death laughed. "After all, a deal's a deal. Why don't you tell him, Kimura?"

Kouji turned to his brother, who had been tugging on his jacket sleeve. Kouichi seamed to be trying to tell him something, but there was no sound coming from his mouth. The voice seamed to die the instant it hit the air. He seamed greatly distressed, bringing a hand to touch his throat shakily.

Death laughed. "Of course you can't speak, you little ingrate!" he crowed. "Haven't you ever heard the phase 'Dead men tell no tales'?"

"Bastard." Kouji growled.

Death calmed down after a moment, smiling like a cat about to snag a particularly tasty little mouse. "As I was saying…Kimura, here, and I have a deal. And I never go back on my deals."

"…A deal, huh?" Kouji took a few deep, steadying breaths, weighing his options, then looked up sharply. "I've got a deal for you: Take me instead."

Death raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"You heard me!" Kouji snapped. "Let Kouichi live and _I'll_ go with you!"

Kouichi looked horrified, yelling silent protests, but the man was all but unaffected. "…Tempting, I'll admit." Death clicked his tongue. "But I'm afraid that option is null and void."

"What!"

"It would contradict the contract your brother made with me." Death brushed his bangs back cockily. "It was a simple choice: He could either go on living…or save your life. As his option as been solidified, you, as the third party, are unable to change the contract without addressing an added clause."

Kouji hissed a bit under his breath, mind whirling in frustration. A light bulb suddenly lit up and he glared again. "All right then…What about a bet?"

Death raised his eyebrow again. "…Go on."

"A game. A contest. Whatever." Kouji snapped. "You against me."

"And if you win…" Death grinned at the corniness of it all. "You want your precious brother back, is that right?"

Kouji nodded sternly. Death clicked his tongue.

"However…What, if anything, would be in if for me?" he smirked slightly. "I already own your brother, I could walk out now and take him with me. If I was to win our contest…what would be _my_ prize?"

"If you win…" Kouji was quiet a long moment, then looked up. "If you win, then you can have both of us."

Had he a voice, Kouichi would have been begging his brother to reconsider, but Kouji wouldn't have listened anyway. Death grinned slightly and straightened to began stamping out the particulars.

"The game?"

"One-on-one. Single match."

"Judo?"

"Kendo."

"Good. Limits?"

"Out-of-bounds."

"Time limit."

"Fine."

Death smiled, holding out his thin, pale, well-manicured hand. "Deal?"

Kouji hesitated, then accepted in a firm shake. "…Deal."

There was a crash of something very unlike thunder, and Kouji suddenly found himself very much alone in the darkness. He spun around, not even noticing the wooden sword he now clutched in his frantic search.

"Kouichi?" he called. "Where are you? Kouichi!"

"He's here." Death's cool voice echoed from the dark. Kouji glared at him as he appeared, holding a wooden blade of his own. "After all…a competition's no fun without its grand prize."

He snapped thin fingers and light flooded a previously unseen wall. Kouji turned and drew in a sharp, horrified gasp.

There, behind a thick pane of perfectly clear, perfectly clean glass, was Kouichi. He was, apparently, locked in a very small room, sort of sitting in the middle of the floor. Actually, he was sagging in the heavy black chains that wrapped around his frail form, keeping him bound to a short, fixed wooden pole. He called to his brother wordlessly, his voice lost in eternity, and his eyes overflowing with tears of fear and pain.

"Kouichi!" Kouji exclaimed, putting a hand to the glass. He turned back and glared at Death fiercely. "What're you up to?"

"We agreed on a time limit." the man laughed, snapping his fingers again.

A small valve opened in the wall of the little room. A hot, steaming red liquid began to seep out, slowly picking up speed and becoming more forceful. It was red, warm and putrid…

Kouichi yanked suddenly at the chains, trying to get away as both twins realized what it was. Blood!

Kouji spun around, giving Death a glare to kill angels. The man simply grinned. "The lifeblood of every mortal to have passed into the After-World. It flows through the Sanzu endlessly, never stopping until the end of eternity. To reach the next world, a spirit must cross the River of Death. In the middle of this crossing comes a point where the spirit 'drowns', and thus becomes permanently separated from its former body…The true moment of Death."

Kouji growled. "So you're saying, if Kouichi drowns…"

"He'll instantly cross over and enter the Afterlife." Death grinned. The chains on Kouichi's body held the boy barely on his knees. The blood was about an inch deep now, soaking into his jeans. "I'd say, at this speed, the room will fill in about…eight minutes. It'll take two for him to truly drown, so all in all we have about…Ten minutes."

Kouji glared viciously, slipping into his opening stance. Death smirked, raising his own weapon. "Care to begin?"

**__**

TBC…


	3. Victory

Creepy, huh? Well, I guess it works. Now if only I could get that chapter done for Harry Potter and the Digimon Frontier…(sigh)

**__**

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I just think too much.

****

Pay The Piper

Chapter 3: Victory

Kouji raised his wooden weapon with a hiss, trying to ignore the sounds of a small glass room slowly filling itself up behind him. For the first time, he noticed several sickly green lines that were glowing lightly in the darkness…like glow-in-the-dark paint, forming a sort of ring about thirty feet in diameter.

"Let me guess…Boundaries." he growled.

"Naturally." Death laughed. He wasn't in any hurry…he was waiting. If time ran out, he won. If Kouji fell out of bounds, he won. If…dammit, he couldn't think of the possibilities at a time like this!

Quickly switching his grip, Kouji rushed towards the beast pretending to be a man, raising his wooden blade high to bring it down on Death's shoulder. The black-haired fiend blocked the strike, knocking the boy back with a powerful blow of his own.

Though Kouji raised his weapon in time to block the blow, he was surprised at the force as it knocked him backwards several feet. He steadied himself, barely recovering from the attack before he had to block again.

"You see, boy?" Death laughed, holding them in equilibrium with each other. "Did you think I'd actually let you pick something you had an advantage at? Swordplay's been around for over three thousand years…and I've been around for every last one of them."

Kouji growled, pushing away and gripping his blade with both hands. A slight glance over his shoulder saw that his brother was already up to his waist in the hot, boiling red substance. Kouichi was still struggling, pulling at the bonds futilely.

"Pay attention to the fight, boy!" Kouji barely whirled around in time to block the next attack, knocking it away with one of his own.

The void was filled with the sounds of wood against wood as the two crashed forward. It was apparent within the first few minutes that one of them was outmatched… Kouji was breathing hard and dripping with sweat, almost gasping for each breath, while Death was fresh as that new car scent.

"Having a little trouble?" he cooed mockingly.

Kouji growled, shoving him away. He slammed the staff down, only to be parried. He jumped back, bouncing on the balls of his feet, then lunged forward to strike again.

He was annoyed, real annoyed. He was the head of the Kendo club at his school, second only to the sensei himself, yet here he was almost helpless…and he was risking not only his own life, but his brother's too, dammit!

Death slashed with the fake blade, hitting Kouji on the shoulder. The boy hissed as a shallow cut appeared, as though from a real weapon, made of metal, not wood. There was no blood…at least, none that he could see.

"Careful…" Death laughed, raising his weapon. "The more you loose, the faster it fills on your dear brother…"

Kouji snarled savagely, lunging. He'd barely attacked once before he was under his own barrage, barely being able to block as he was forced backwards several scrambling steps.

For a moment he found himself pressed against the edge of the ring, barely keeping his balance. A few more inches and he would fall…

With a sudden movement, he ducked under his opponent's blade and broke free, spinning around just in time to block the next assault.

With an almighty _crash_, Death brought his weapon down with both hands. Kouji raised his own to block, barely in time, but the strength of both attacks held them in another stalemate.

"Ready to give up, boy?" Death hissed, pressing down hard to force Kouji back. The boy growled, struggling to pull himself up…

A scream suddenly went off in Kouji's head…It wasn't a vocal cry, more of a feeling that echoed through his mind. He craned his head back to peer over Death's shoulder, pass the gleaming glass into the tiny room.

Said room was almost completely full now. Kouichi had strained to the limit of his bonds, fighting to keep his head above surface. He was gasping for air as the level rose, pushing out the air more and more before, with one last strangled gasp, he disappeared underneath the stormy red…

"Kouichi!" Kouji shouted, mind racing.

Death grinned at him. "Two minutes."

Kouji felt the rage boil up inside of him. Letting out an almost animal-like shout, he snapped his blade up suddenly and brought it down hard on his opponent's shoulder. Though it didn't cut the way own wound had, it did knock him back fiercely, slamming the grim reaper into a stunned semi-balance.

The dark-haired man hissed slightly, but still reacted quickly to block his advances. But Kouji's attacks were so fast and fierce, coming down one after another in the blind rush of desperation, it was all the creature of bereavement could do to defend himself.

"How…in hell…"

"I…won't…let you…take him!" Kouji growled between his blows. "I don't care… who you are…you _won't_…take him!"

With one last inborn roar, Kouji suddenly switched his grip so that his blade was point towards the ground. He brought it up with a mighty strike, snapping it under his opponent's chin to send him flying…

…Right out of bounds.

Death landed with a crash, slide a few feet, then stopped with a groan and didn't get up. For a moment Kouji just stood there, holding his blade loosely and gasping for breath, then he dropped the weapon and ran for the glass wall.

"Kouichi!" he exclaimed, pressing his hands to the glass and gazing in desperately. There wasn't a single glimpse of movement anywhere amongst the deep, savage red. "Kouichi! Where are you!"

"Gone."

Kouji spun around at the quiet voice from behind him. Death pulled himself to his feet with a sigh, picking up both of the wooden blades. "What do you mean, gone?"

"He's gone. Back where he belongs." Death sighed, shaking his head. "Damn… How am I ever gonna explain this to the boss?"

"Back…" Kouji faltered. "Back…home? He's…alive?"

"Of course. A deal's a deal." Death turned his head slightly to look back at him dully. "You beat me, kid. I never go back on my word. I won't bother either of you again until your time comes…but when that time comes, you can't do anything. Got it?"

Kouji hesitated a moment, then smirked, slipping back into his usual persona. "Got it."

Death sighed again, turning his back on him. "Now get lost, kid…I'm tired…"

And the darkness around them started to fade as a voice seamed to call to him. _"Wake up…Wake up…"_

****

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

"…Mr. Minamoto? Mr. Minamoto, wake up."

Kouji started suddenly, to find himself staring into the brown eyes of a smiling young nurse. He blinked at her dumbly. "Wha…?"

"You've been asleep for a while." She smiled warmly. "It's perfectly understandable…so much stress, I'd want to sleep it off, too."

For a moment Kouji's mind scrambled for a foothold, then he sat up in the plastic chair of the hospital waiting room. "K-Kouichi…"

"Your brother's doing just fine." the nurse helped him to his feet shakily. "Would you like to see him?"

****

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

Kouichi was lying in a slightly-raised hospital bed, eyes closed in a peaceful slumber. His left arm was in a thick cast, as were his legs, while there was heavy white gauze wrapped around his head and chest, showing past an unbuttoned shirt. The machines next to him beeped steadily, monitoring him carefully.

Kouji hesitated in the door, breath catching in his throat excitedly. Despite his best efforts, he felt the very edges of minuscule tears beginning to prick at his eyes.

"It's really rather remarkable." the doctor was saying behind him. "We thought we'd lost him there for a second, stopped breathing, lost all pulse, should've been a goner…but he bounced back, started breathing on his own and everything. 'Course he didn't come out completely unscathed…he might never be able to use that arm again, and it'll take a lot of therapy for him to be able to walk again, but he didn't suffer any brain damage and should be…"

Kouji wasn't listening. He rushed forward and took the seat in the chair next to the bed, reaching for his brother's less-injured right hand with both of his own.

The boy in the bed stirred slightly, blue eyes fluttering open in slight confusion. He turned his head slightly and smiled a very soft smile. "Kou…ji…"

"Yeah. I'm here." Kouji gripped his hand, the few tears breaking loose from their bonds.

The older twin's eyes glistened with tears. "You…You saved me…" he whispered, closing his eyes and setting them free. "I…I was so scared…I thought I'd never see you again…"

Kouji reached up and gently rubbed the trails of saltwater off the pale cheeks. "Don't worry." he said softly, leaning forward to put an arm around his brother. "We're not going anywhere…"

**__**

Fin.


End file.
